Every rule, written out.

The basics

What is Makers Wall?

A free community where solo founders and small teams test each other’s products. You submit a project to get it tested, and you test other people’s projects in return. There is no credit system and no gate: submitting is always free, and testing is what moves your own project up the queue.

Am I a maker or a tester?

Both. Everyone here wears both hats. A maker is whoever submitted a given project; a tester is whoever claimed it. The navigation is organised by what you’re looking at (projects, tests, messages), not by role.

What does it cost?

Nothing! It’s 100% free. You only get what you give. Help others, get help back.

Submitting a project

What do I need to submit?

A URL (or a private access link), the platforms it runs on, a one-line tagline, and a short brief on what to test. We read the page’s title, description and image to prefill what we can. Start at Submit a project.

What's the difference between the public and the private brief?

The public brief is on the listing for everyone: scope, focus, known issues. The private brief is only revealed to a tester once they claim the test: credentials, install steps, TestFlight or APK links. Never put credentials in the public brief.

How many testers can I ask for?

Everyone starts with up to 3. Every 2 tests you complete that the maker rates 3★ or more unlock one more, up to 8. Once that many tests are accepted, the listing shows as full and stops taking claims; you can raise the target within your allowance, or close the project and reopen it for a new round.

What is the completion window?

How long each tester gets, from the moment they claim (not from when you publish). Anyone can pick 3 to 7 days. Shorter windows ask a lot of whoever claims, so they’re earned as a tester: 2 days with a 4.0★ tester score over 5 rated tests, 1 day with 4.5★ over 10.

Can I choose who tests my project?

Yes, it’s optional and off by default. Tick Manually approve testers when you set up the project, or later in its settings. Testers then send you a request instead of claiming, with an optional note on why they’re a good fit. You get a notification, can look at their profile (tester score, tests done, no-shows, devices) and approve or decline from your project’s Testers tab.

• A request doesn’t take a slot. Approving does, and starts the tester’s clock. Once the project is full, the requests still waiting close on their own.
• Requests you don’t answer within 48 hours close automatically, with no penalty for anyone.
• Declining can come with a short reason that only the tester sees. They can’t ask again this round, but can in the next one.
• Leaving it off gets you testers fastest: anyone who can test your project claims it straight away.

Can I pause, close or re-open a project?

Pause hides it from browse without touching running tests. Close ends the listing. Tests already in progress keep going unless you choose to cancel the ones not yet submitted (no penalty for those testers). Pausing or closing also closes any tester requests still waiting for your approval. Re-opening starts a new round, which lets people who already tested it test again.

Testing someone's project

How do I find something to test?

Browse shows every open project you can claim, with a suggested one at the top. Filter by platform, the kind of feedback the maker wants, or window length.

Why is a card locked?

The project runs on a platform you haven’t declared a device for (an iOS app needs an iPhone or iPad tester, for example). Websites need nothing. Declare your devices when you claim, or in Settings → Devices.

What happens when I claim?

The clock starts, the private brief unlocks, a chat with the maker opens and a report draft is created for you. You can hold at most 3 tests at a time, pending requests included.

What does “Maker approves testers” mean?

Some makers pick who tests their project. On those listings the button says Request to test: you send a request, optionally with a note on why you’re a good fit, and the maker looks at your profile before saying yes or no. You’re notified either way.

• Your clock only starts when you’re approved, and that’s also when the private brief and the chat open.
• A pending request counts toward your 3 active tests. You can cancel it any time, for free, from the project page.
• If the maker doesn’t answer within 48 hours, or the project fills up first, the request closes and you can try again.
• If they decline, you can’t ask again this round. A good tester score and a complete profile are what makers look at.

Can I withdraw?

Yes, from the ⋯ menu on the test. Within 24 hours of claiming it’s free. After that it counts as a no-show. You can’t reclaim the same project in the same round.

What if I miss the deadline?

The test expires: no completed test, no queue credit, and a no-show on your record. You get a reminder halfway through the window and one a day before it closes.

Reports and findings

What goes in a report?

A summary (overall impression, what you covered, what you didn’t) and a list of findings. Each finding has a type (bug, UX, suggestion, question), a severity (blocker, major, minor, nit), a title, where it happened, details in markdown and optional screenshots. You can also note how long you spent.

Can I save as I go?

Yes. The report is a draft you edit over the whole window; it autosaves. Submit only when you think it’s complete. Submitting stops your clock.

What makes a report useful?

Steps to reproduce, expected versus actual, and things the maker can act on tomorrow. “Nice app!” earns a low rating. However, reporting real issues with clear steps earn a high one.

Reviewing a report (makers)

What do I do when a report comes in?

Read it in the test’s Report tab, then either accept & rate it, or request changes once with a message. You have 5 days.

What if I don't respond?

Silence never blocks the tester. After 5 days without a response the report is auto-accepted and the tester gets full credit. You can still rate them afterwards.

How does 'request changes' work?

Once per test. The tester gets 3 days to update the report and resubmit, which gives you a fresh 5-day review period. If they don’t resubmit in time, the report is accepted as it was.

Ratings

Who rates whom?

Both ways, as two separate scores. The maker rates the tester on how useful the test was: that’s the tester score, the platform’s central currency. The tester rates the maker on how they were to work with: that’s the maker score, shown on their listings so future testers know what to expect.

When are ratings revealed?

Ratings are double-blind: you can’t see theirs until you’ve given yours. Both are revealed once both sides have rated, or when the 14-day rating window closes.

What are the tags for?

Structured, actionable feedback next to the stars: “clear repro steps”, “too shallow”, “instructions unclear”, “responsive”, and so on. Pick up to four.

How the queue and ranking work

This is the part that makes the loop fair. Nothing here decides whether you can be tested, only how soon and by whom.

What is queue weight?

A number you earn by completing tests for other people. Each accepted test adds one point, multiplied by the rating the maker gave you: ×0.25 for one star, ×0.5 for two, ×1 for three (or unrated), ×1.25 for four, ×1.5 for five. Expired, withdrawn or cancelled tests earn nothing. There is no decay. Your queue weight is attached to you, so it lifts every project you submit.

How is my project's queue position computed?

Open projects are ordered by their owner’s queue weight, highest first, then by publication date, oldest first. The console shows “#N of M”. Complete a test and every project you own moves up.

What does a tester see first in browse?

First, hard filters decide what is eligible at all: the project is open, it isn’t theirs, it has a free slot, and they haven’t already tested it this round. Then each eligible project gets a score:

• Your queue weight (weight 1.0): the more you test, the higher yours ranks.
• Your tester score (0.6): good testers get tested by good testers. Everyone starts at the median, so newcomers aren’t buried.
• Waiting time (0.4): a starvation guard so long-waiting projects surface even with low weight.
• Newcomer pairing (0.5): a boost when both the viewer and the maker have fewer than 3 completed tests, so early cohorts can reciprocate among themselves.

Projects the viewer can’t claim on their devices are shown last, locked. Reputation only affects ranking, never eligibility.

Does the language I speak matter?

Not for matching. It’s on your profile for others to see, but it isn’t a filter or a ranking signal, so nobody gains anything by claiming languages they don’t speak. It might become an excluding criteria in the future.

Do the feedback tags on a listing affect matching?

No. “Bug hunting”, “UI/UX” and the others are informational, to help testers pick what they enjoy. Skill signals will eventually be earned from rated history, not declared.

What is the newcomer boost, and when does it end?

Until you’ve completed 3 tests you’re a newcomer: you’re preferentially paired with other newcomers. It’s a boost, not a wall, so a slow week never leaves you without projects.

What do no-shows cost?

Each expiry or late withdrawal is recorded. Repeated no-shows cost you the newcomer and fast-lane boosts, and reset the number of testers you can ask for to 3: only tests you complete after your last no-show count toward raising it again. Withdraw early if you can’t finish a test; within 24 hours it’s free.

Chat, timeline and notifications

How does the chat work?

Each test has its own 1:1 conversation between the maker and the tester, opened at claim. Freeform messages with image attachments, plus system messages marking every milestone (claimed, submitted, accepted…). It becomes read-only when the test closes and is kept indefinitely for reference.

Where do I see everything at once?

Inbox lists every conversation across both hats. Notifications lists every event. Email preferences are in Settings → Notifications.

Something is wrong with a test. What do I do?

Use Report a problem in the ⋯ menu of the test. A human reads every report.

Profiles and privacy

What is public on my profile?

Your name, handle, picture, occupation, location, links, badges, both scores and the names of projects you recently tested. Never the content of your reports or chats, and never your email.

Is my project page public?

Yes. Every published project has a public page at /p/your-slug with the description and the public brief, and shows in browse and on your profile. Once a test is accepted, it also gives your site a followed link. The private brief is never on it.

What does profile completeness do?

A fuller profile (picture, occupation, bio, links, devices) makes makers more comfortable handing over credentials, and gives a small ranking bonus.